Personal, social and emotional development
* Praising children's achievements raises self-esteem.
* Encouraging inventiveness develops their confidence in taking risks.
* A fun, non-competitive atmosphere encourages imaginative solutions to challenges without the pressure of a 'right way' of doing something.
* Group work develops trust, co-operation and sensitivity to others'
views.
* Different dance and music styles raise awareness and respect for different cultures and traditions.
Communication, language and literacy
* Attention to body language helps children express themselves and to read cues in other people.
* Interacting with others stimulates negotiation and conversational skills.
* Moving to accompaniment supports listening skills.
* Exploring different actions consolidates understanding of vocabulary of movement.
* Recreating roles and experiences in dance stimulates use of imaginative language.
* Retelling stories in dance supports understanding of sequence in narrative.
Mathematical development
* Counting steps reinforces numeracy skills.
* Dancing develops understanding of position and shape.
Knowledge and understanding of the world
* Using living things, objects and events as stimuli, such as the life cycle of the butterfly, develops children's understanding of their world.
* Pushing, pulling and supporting partners in dance develops understanding of concepts of momentum and forces.
* Different dance styles offer insight into other cultures and beliefs.
* Watching dance supports observational skills and awareness of patterns, changes, similarities and differences.
Physical development
* Dancing promotes bodily control, co-ordination, flexibility and balance and awareness of space.
* Physical exertion develops understanding of bodily changes when active.
* Dancing with props develops manipulative skills.
Creative development
* Three-dimensional form may be explored by representing objects and ideas physically.
* Matching movements to accompaniment reinforces recognition of how sounds can be changed.
* Responding to sound using the body promotes rhythmic awareness.
* Interpreting music and other stimuli in movement stimulates the imagination.
* Dance provides opportunities to express ideas, thoughts and feelings non-verbally.
